A collection of six short stories by veteran army writer Suong Nguyet Minh has won the Vietnam Writers Association annual Literature Prize.
Di Huong (Strange Fragrance) focuses on different human issues, especially modern society. While Dem Thanh Vo Cung (The Holy Night) is about the loneliness of a man who lives happily with his wife and children, Cha Toi (My Father) is about an old veteran, who can't adapt with the material lives of his other family members.
Dem Mua Ha Tuyet Roi (Snowing on a Summer Night) is a love story in which the characters face the fading value of love in a fast-tempo world.
The stories present Minh's new writing style, which is "a well combined balance of reality, romance and myth", according to the author. Sex is also mentioned in some of the stories in a fine, sophisticated way. "Like a chef who needs a special spice to create a unique flavour for his dish, sex is used to support the stories' structure, in harmony with the rest of the plot," he said.
Strange Fragrance, published in 2009, won the hearts of the judges who included nine well-known Vietnamese writers.
The Literature Prize was also awarded for a children's short-story collection, Chiec Ve Vao Cong Thien Duong Xanh (Ticket to the Blue Heaven) by Que Huong, and Nguyen Bich Lan's version of Slumdog Billionaire topped the translation category.
The winners will receive their prizes at an awards ceremony scheduled for later in the month in Hanoi./.
Di Huong (Strange Fragrance) focuses on different human issues, especially modern society. While Dem Thanh Vo Cung (The Holy Night) is about the loneliness of a man who lives happily with his wife and children, Cha Toi (My Father) is about an old veteran, who can't adapt with the material lives of his other family members.
Dem Mua Ha Tuyet Roi (Snowing on a Summer Night) is a love story in which the characters face the fading value of love in a fast-tempo world.
The stories present Minh's new writing style, which is "a well combined balance of reality, romance and myth", according to the author. Sex is also mentioned in some of the stories in a fine, sophisticated way. "Like a chef who needs a special spice to create a unique flavour for his dish, sex is used to support the stories' structure, in harmony with the rest of the plot," he said.
Strange Fragrance, published in 2009, won the hearts of the judges who included nine well-known Vietnamese writers.
The Literature Prize was also awarded for a children's short-story collection, Chiec Ve Vao Cong Thien Duong Xanh (Ticket to the Blue Heaven) by Que Huong, and Nguyen Bich Lan's version of Slumdog Billionaire topped the translation category.
The winners will receive their prizes at an awards ceremony scheduled for later in the month in Hanoi./.
